Who Says You Can't Go Home?
by racefh853629
Summary: Sequel to "Secrets of a Past Life." A phone call leads to a cross country trip, and while some presume the wounds have healed, some are aware that they're just bandaged, and still bleeding underneath.
1. Prologue

A/N: I don't own CSI, CSI:NY, CBS, or any other known entity. This story is the sequel to "Secrets of a Past Life," so I do actually recommend reading that one before this one. The other stories (A Slice and Guitar Hero, Made You Look, Long Way From Home, and Blow Me Up) take place after this one, because this is set early Season 9 for CSI and early Season 5 for CSI:NY. I hope you guys enjoy this story, and please review. :)

* * *

Prologue

Silently he slipped into the confines of his lab, thankful for once that no one noticed him. Today already wasn't his day, and it had just begun. He sunk onto a stool in the lab after shrugging into a coat, taking time to look at the backlog from the graveyard shift. All samples already running. Nothing he could do but wait for them to finish and place the results sheet into its rightful folder.

With nothing waiting for him, he folded his arms on the table, putting his head down on them for a moment. He hadn't been able to sleep the night before, so he was dead tired now. But here he was, at work, performing his part of the civil service.

He heard the heels clicking in the hallway long before he looked up to see Stella walking into his lab. "Hey Adam," she said softly. He forced a smile for her benefit.

"Hey, Stella," he replied, matching her tone.

"How are you?"

"I'm okay. How're you?"

"Concerned about you."

He furrowed his brow. "Why…"

"You blew right past everybody when you came in. You sat down on the stool and put your head on your arms. And, you look exhausted."

He sighed, looking down at the table. "I didn't sleep last night," he admitted softly. She frowned.

"How come?" she probed gently, putting her hand on his shoulder.

"My mom called shortly after I got out of work. My, uh, my father passed away last night."

"Adam… I'm so sorry."

Adam shrugged. "I'm not sure I am," he said honestly, looking up at her. "I had a rough relationship with him, you know?"

"Yeah." She rubbed his shoulder gently.

"I was up all night because… I don't know what to do, Stella. Do I go home? I really didn't like the guy. And I don't know if… if I can go back there. There's just so much… I left the first chance I got, and I didn't go back. I don't think I want to go back now."

"You should, Adam. If not for him, then for your mother."

"The woman who stood by and did nothing while my father…" He couldn't finish his statement, his voice choking with tears. Stella frowned, hugging the young man gently. "I know I should go back," he continued, tears beginning to fall. "But, I… I don't know that I can."

"You can do this, Adam. You're a strong guy. You wouldn't have made it this far if you weren't. You can do this and get through this, okay?"

"Yeah, okay," he said softly.

"You should go home, get some rest," Stella tells him.

He shook his head. "No, Stella. I need to be here."

"I'll clear it with Mac. Go home, Adam."

"Please, Stella. I need to do this."

"That depends," Mac said as he walked in. "Adam, Stella, come with me to my office for a moment." Adam widened his eyes, and Stella bit her bottom lip slightly before helping Adam off the stool. The two of them followed Mac into his office.

"What's going on, Mac?" Stella asked, sitting down with Adam. Mac took a seat in the chair across from them.

"I just got a phone call from Greg Sanders," he explained, focusing on Adam. "He said your phone was off and that he was worried. He didn't say why, though, so I was hoping you'd be able to fill in the gaps."

"I can't believe my mom called him," Adam said, growing angry. "I can't even tell my own friends. She does it for me."

"Maybe she didn't think you would," Stella said.

"Of course I'd tell Greg."

"What about Mac?"

"Right," Adam said, calming down and turning back to Mac. "I'm sorry, Boss."

"It's alright," Mac said.

Adam sighed softly. "My father passed away last night," he admitted. Mac frowned in sympathy.

"I'm sorry, Adam. If there's anything I can do…"

"I'll be fine, Boss. But, thank you."

"No problem. I agree with Stella, though. You should go home and get some sleep if you can. And call Greg back."

Adam smiled slightly. "I will," he resigned. Mac nodded, and Adam stood up with Stella. Mac hugged him gently, and Stella did the same before Adam left the lab for the day.

* * *

The phone rang, and Greg groaned softly. He had _just_ managed to fall asleep. "Sanders," he muttered sleepily into the phone.

"You called Mac?" Adam asked. Greg sighed.

"Yeah, I did," he replied. "I'm sorry, but I needed to talk to you, make sure you're okay."

"I'm doing alright."

"Liar. You sound as tired as I feel."

Adam ignored his comment. "How'd you find out? Did my mom tell you?"

"Yeah, she left me a voicemail last night when she couldn't get in touch with you after you two got disconnected last night. Thought you might be out here with me."

"Yeah, about that. Can I come out there and stay with you and the kids?"

Greg nodded, even though he knew Adam couldn't see it. "Of course, but Phoenix is quite a distance from Las Vegas."

"It's only about a four hour drive. Besides, I can't stay with my mom, and I don't want to stay in Phoenix."

"You know you're always welcome here," Greg told him. "However long you want to stay, you've got a place here. Besides, I'm sure Caden and Alexa would be ecstatic to see you."

"Yeah, yeah. I've missed them. I'll be happy to see them again too."

"As long as you're okay with the commute, you're welcome to stay here. I'll have my mom set up the room."

Adam chuckled. "She live with you?"

Greg snorted slightly. "No. She just stays here all night while I'm at work."

"Okay."

"She actually lives next door," Greg added.

"Oh, ouch," Adam commented lightly, and Greg knew it was more to hide the truth than an actual response.

"She's been good about staying out of my life," Greg said. Adam laughed.

"Yeah, right," he taunted. "Your mother never stays out of your life."

"Yeah, but when she's next door, she doesn't have to try as hard."

"That's true, I guess." Adam yawned, and Greg chuckled.

"You tired too?" he asked.

"I was up all night," Adam replied. "Not sure what to do."

Greg frowned, even though Adam still couldn't see him. "You didn't want to come out here, huh."

Adam sighed. "Not at all."

"I'm proud of you for doing this, Adam. I know it's gonna be hard for you, but you'll be okay. It's gonna be okay."

"I hope you're right, Greg."

"I'm psychic, remember?"

"Yeah, okay. If you're so psychic…"

"Shut up."

Adam chuckled again. "I'm gonna let you go, okay?" he said. "I just got back to my place, and I kinda need to sleep."

"Alright, same here," Greg replied. "Let me know when you fly in, and I'll pick you up."

"Okay. I'll talk to you later, Greg."

"Later, Adam."


	2. Chapter 1

A/N: I'm so sorry for the long delay between chapters... my life is wicked busy. See the first chapter for the disclaimer. As always, I hope you guys enjoy this chapter, and please review. :)

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Chapter 1

Greg sank into the couch in the break room, listening quietly to the sounds around him. Over the years, he had gotten used to the sounds of the lab- the hum of the machines, the perking of the coffee pot, the thunking sound that the refrigerator always made when it was running. Even the muffled discussions were the same as they always were.

But, then again, a lot had changed over the years.

Sara had left last year, after getting frustrated with Las Vegas and the demons surrounding her life. And Greg couldn't blame her. No one could. She'd had a rough life, and after the kidnapping, things were even worse. She couldn't handle it anymore, and so she left to find herself again.

And then there was Warrick. About a month ago, he was murdered in cold blood outside the restaurant the team had just been eating at. Greg had canceled his plans to stay behind and be with the team. It was something that, to this day, they were all still struggling with.

But Greg was nothing if not a pillar of strength. Even at his worst, he prided himself on shining through and being strong. And now was another one of those times where he'd prove it to everyone around him.

The thing that did throw him off, though, was Adam's news. Greg couldn't imagine what it was like to lose a father, seeing as how Eric was still alive and well in New York, taking care of his seventh child now, another little baby girl. Greg had yet to meet his newest little sister, but he knew with time, he would.

But Adam losing his father was far worse. Not because Adam was close to his father. In fact, as far as Greg knew, Adam hadn't talked to his father since he left for school at age 18, and Adam never went home. That was their sole reason for getting an apartment together their sophomore year- Adam would have a place to stay over breaks instead of always going home with Greg. But Adam usually did go home with Greg, because Nancy insisted on it.

If Greg knew anything about Adam (which, he figured, he had to know a lot by now), he knew Adam was suffering a lot right now. He was in a huge world of guilt and grief, as well as self-doubt and self-loathing. As much as Adam was allowed, in Greg's eyes, to hate his father, Adam would always hate himself for hating the man.

Greg was proud of Adam for agreeing to come out here and come to the funeral services. Adam hadn't been back to Phoenix since he left, and he never had a desire to. He couldn't do it, ever. But now, he had finally beaten his demons enough to come out here and visit Phoenix.

Greg wasn't sure if that was Adam beating the demons, or Adam's father's demise, though.

Whatever was going on, though, Greg was lost inside his mind as Nick walked in. "Hey," he said quietly. Greg jumped.

"Hey," he replied quietly. Nick sat down next to his friend.

"You okay?" Nick asked.

Greg shrugged. "Just worried."

"About?"

"A bunch of things, people."

"Yeah, I know what you mean," Nick said with a sigh, stretching back a bit on the couch.

"How're you holding up?" Greg asked, looking over at the older man, who shrugged.

"I'm hanging in there. How about you?"

"About the same."

Nick nodded. "I'm just glad this shift's over."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. I just wanna go home and sleep."

Greg nodded his understanding. "If you need anything, Nick, please don't hesitate to ask," he said. Nick nodded again, smiling slightly.

"Yeah, thanks," he said, standing. "Take care of yourself too, okay?"

"Will do." Nick walked out, leaving for the day. Greg brought his feet up onto the chair, tucking them under him comfortably. It didn't make sense for him to go home, as his house was further away from the airport than the lab.

So he waited.

Catherine came in, finding Greg in that position as he stared at a spot on the wall. She frowned silently. "Greg?" she asked softly. He turned a soft smile toward her.

"Hey, Catherine," he replied. "How's it going?"

"I was about to ask you the same question. Everything alright?"

"Yeah, fine. Just hangin' out, waiting for my friend to come in." He looked down to the floor, quiet.

"The one from New York?"

"Yeah, Adam."

"You didn't tell me he was coming to visit." She sat down across from him, and he shrugged.

"I didn't know myself until he called me yesterday morning. He's coming out here for a funeral."

Catherine frowned. "I'm sorry to hear that."

Greg nodded. "Yeah, me too."

"Is he okay?"

"He's got a lot to get through, so he'll probably stay out here a while, but he'll be fine in the long run."

"With you as his friend, I'm sure he'll be fine."

Greg smiled softly. "Thanks, Catherine."

"No problem," she said softly. She stood up, patting him on the shoulder. "I'm heading home. I'll see you later."

"See ya, Catherine."

She walked out the door, and Greg closed his eyes, waiting. Just waiting.

* * *

iPod stuffed in his ears, Adam kept his eyes closed as his flight crossed into the Midwest region of the country. He tried to avoid all thoughts of Phoenix, his family, and his life as he lounged as best he could in the cramped airline seat.

He was more torn than he could ever remember feeling.

He was excited to go see Greg and the twins. He hadn't seen them since they left a couple months ago, but Adam knew that the transition out there hadn't been that great. Greg was a lot different as a parent than Audrey had been, and that took a lot of getting used to.

Adam knew that the second he arrived, the twins would be all over him, as would Nancy. She had probably heard from Greg what was going on, and no doubt would insist that Adam get fed properly and be well taken care of. That was the kind of person Nancy was, and as much as it bothered Greg, Adam had to admit that he liked it a little. It was something that he didn't get often.

Adam almost wished that he had Greg's life. Granted, Greg wasn't the most popular person in New York City, or in Las Vegas for that matter, but he had a stable home life. He had a mother who loved him like crazy, a father who, while he may not be with Greg's mother anymore, was happy and doing his part to help overpopulate the world, and Greg had more siblings than Kotter had liver pills. And, on top of all of that, he had two adorable eleven year olds who, though they made his life crazy, loved him with all of their hearts and had grown to accept him as a more than suitable father.

All Adam had left was his mother, and his siblings.

His father had just passed away, and Adam wasn't sure yet if he felt sad, relieved, or some combination of the two. After all…

Adam shook his head, opening his eyes. He didn't want to think about that now. Maybe not ever. He sighed quietly, turning to look out the window next to him. The plane was silent, as were most early morning flights, and Adam was starting to go crazy. Part of him wished he never had said that he'd leave. He wanted to go back home, back to New York, back where things somewhat made sense and everything seemed like a good possibility.

Yet, here he was, on the flight to hell, trying to maintain what little sanity he had left. Silently, he wished himself luck with that as he rolled over to face the window and tried to sleep away the rest of this miserable flight.


	3. Chapter 2

A/N: I'm sorry for the delay. Life sucks (especially this week). See the first chapter for the disclaimer. I hope you guys enjoy this chapter, and please review. :)

* * *

Chapter 2

Adam made his way to the escalator, heading down to the baggage claim area tiredly. He yawned, stretching slightly and readjusting his bag on his shoulder before rolling his head around. The plane ride had sucked, and Adam wanted nothing more than to curl up in bed. As he came down the escalator, he saw Greg waiting for him, and he walked over to him.

"Hey," Greg said softly.

"Hey," Adam replied tiredly. They walked over to the baggage claim, and Greg grabbed Adam's bag for him. Adam said nothing, following Greg out.

"How was the flight?"

"Sucked."

"I'm sorry to hear that." They walked to Greg's car, climbing in quietly. Adam sat in the front seat, closing his eyes. They rode to Greg's house in silence, Greg wanting Adam to try and get some sleep while Adam tried to contemplate his life.

* * *

"Mom, I'm home," Greg called out as he and Adam entered the house.

"You're late!" Nancy called back from upstairs. Greg rolled his eyes.

"I guarantee she's either cleaning my room or Caden's room," he said to Adam. Adam smiled slightly. "I told you I would be, Mom!"

"When did you tell me that?"

"Last night before I left. I told you I had to pick up Adam at the airport."

Nancy appeared at the top of the stairs. "Oh, that's right. I'm sorry. I forgot. And you really need to keep your room clean. I could barely find the floor in there." Greg turned to Adam, giving him a look that said 'I told you.' Adam smiled again as Nancy walked down the stairs. "Hi, Adam. It's good to see you again. Just not under these circumstances, of course."

"It's good to see you too, Nancy," Adam said softly. Nancy walked over to him, giving Adam a big hug.

"How are you, sweetie?"

"I'm hanging in there."

She frowned, hugging him tighter. "I'm so sorry, hon. If there's anything I can do, let me know."

"I will, Nancy. Thank you."

"Mom, Adam and I are pretty tired," Greg said. "Can we just…"

"Oh, yes, of course," she said, letting go of Adam. "The kids got to school just fine, and the guest room's all set up, so you guys can get some sleep. I'll drop by later."

"You don't have to. I have the night off."

She huffed. "I want to. I love spending time with my grandkids."

Adam smiled slightly at that, and Greg smiled.

"I know," Greg said. "Okay, we'll see you later, Mom."

"Love you."

"Love you too." She walked out the door, and Adam furrowed his brow.

"So where exactly does she live?" he asked.

"Right next door," Greg replied. Adam nodded, and Greg smirked. "I wouldn't let her move in with me."

"Why not? You could use the help."

Greg shrugged. "I don't need her doting over me every second. I can take care of myself and my kids just fine."

"I'm not saying you can't." Adam sighed, sinking into the couch. "I didn't mean to offend you, Greg. I was trying to make a joke."

"Yeah, I figured that after," Greg replied, sitting next to him.

"I'm just tired," Adam tried to explain.

Greg shook his head. "I know. You've got a lot going on. If you wanna talk, I'm here. If you'd rather get some rest first before the twins come home, that's fine too. It's up to you."

"I'm not ready to talk yet."

"That's fair. I've got a room set up for you upstairs." Greg stood up, and Adam shook his head.

"I don't wanna sleep, either. I can't sleep. I've been trying, but I… I just… I can't sleep."

"If you just wanna throw your stuff up there, then we'll watch a movie?"

"You've been up all night, Greg. You should sleep before your kids get home."

"Adam…" Greg said.

"Greg, I don't need babysitting," Adam half-snapped. "I'm an adult. I can friggen handle myself."

"I'm not saying you can't," Greg said gently. Adam sighed painfully, sinking further into the couch.

"I'm sorry, Greg. I didn't mean…"

"It's okay. I understand."

"No, it's not okay." Adam tucked his knees into his chest, curling into a little ball. Greg stood back, leaning against the wall, knowing that right now, Adam needed a lot more than he said. Adam rested his head against his knees. "It's not okay," he repeated. "I shouldn't be angry. I should be sad. I should be everything that I'm not right now." Adam's hands balled tightly into fists, and Greg continued to watch him from across the room.

"Why?" Greg asked softly. Adam looked up to see Greg sympathetically leaning against the wall.

"Why what?"

"Why do you feel that way?"

"I don't know, I just do. Why did you feel the way you did after Audrey died? After Warrick died? You can't just ask someone why they feel that way, Greg! They just do!"

"You feel guilty," Greg commented softly, ignoring Adam's outburst. "Whether it's because of what happened when you were a kid, or because you don't think you're reacting appropriately right now, you feel guilty. And that's why you keep striking out."

"I'm not striking out," Adam said.

"Oh, really? You're argumentative. You're snapping at me. Whatever the hell you wanna call it."

Adam shook his head dismissively. "You're tired. We shouldn't be having this conversation."

Greg sighed. "I'm fine, Adam."

"Yeah, well I'm not, and I really don't want to talk about it anymore!"

Greg nodded, understanding that with Adam in this state, he was going to have to swallow back a lot of things. "I'll bring your stuff upstairs," Greg offered softly. "And then I'm going to get some rest before the kids come home. You're welcome to anything in the house." Adam nodded, silently burying his head against his knees again. "Let me know if you need anything else, okay?"

"I will," Adam mumbled softly. Greg walked over, giving Adam's shoulder a gentle squeeze before grabbing Adam's stuff and bringing it upstairs into the guest room. Greg walked down the hall to his own room, kicking off his shoes and crashing onto the bed. Truth be told, Greg was exhausted, and he was going to need a lot more strength to help take care of Adam.

* * *

Adam stayed in that position on the couch until his phone rang. Pulling it out without a second thought, he flipped it open and put it to his ear, still with his head against his knees. "Adam Ross," he answered dismally.

"Hey Adam," Stella said softly. He frowned.

"Hey Stel. What's up?"

"I just wanted to see how you were doing."

"Not well," he sighed along with his semi-surprising candidness. "I'm fighting with Greg over everything."

"You sound tired."

He scrubbed his hand over his face. "Can't sleep."

"You might want to try, Adam. Might make you not fight with Greg as much."

He shook his head, even though he knew she couldn't see it. "While I'm sure that's true, I don't know. I'd probably still fight with him. I don't want to fight with anyone, but I can't help it, Stel. There's just so much… and I can't…"

"I know, Adam."

He could practically hear her frown from the other end, and he sighed. "I'm sorry, Stella."

"You have no reason to be sorry, Adam. You've done nothing wrong. I'm proud of you for going out there."

"Yeah," he said with a sigh.

"Do me a favor, though," she said. "Get some rest and take care of yourself, okay?"

"I will."

"I'll call you later."

He smiled at her maternal persistence. "Okay. I'll talk to you later, Stella."

"Bye, Adam." They hung up, and Adam sighed. Knowing she was right, he made his way upstairs, finding the room Greg had left his stuff in. He kicked his shoes off, throwing himself into bed and praying that he'd actually be able to fall asleep this time.


	4. Chapter 3

A/N: I'm sorry for the slow updates. It's been crazy lately. Anyway, thank you for all the reviews and follows. The kids mention most of the end of season 4 of NY in this chapter. I hope you guys enjoy this next chapter and please review.

* * *

Chapter 3

Adam heard the excited murmurings downstairs, waking him up from his restless slumber. _Better than a nightmare_, he reasoned. He could hear Greg's voice as well as those of Caden and Alexa. Seconds later, he heard footsteps pounding up the stairs, and Adam knew that any hope he had of falling back asleep was gone.

The door swung open harshly, and the kids pounced on the bed. Adam smiled genuinely, opening his arms as the kids crawled up against him. "We missed you so much," Alexa said, hugging Adam tightly. Caden nodded in agreement, and Adam pulled the twins against him.

"I missed you guys too," Adam said softly.

"We read all of your letters and emails and everything."

"Is Reed okay?" Caden asked.

"How about Mac?" Alexa asked.

"Stella? Did she find a new place?"

"Is Danny doing better?"

"How's Lindsay?"

"Why don't you try one question at a time?" Greg suggested, calling attention to the doorway where he was standing.

"It's fine," Adam said, smiling slightly.

Greg nodded. "Well, how about you come downstairs before you fill us in? Pizza just got here, might as well eat it before it gets cold."

"Fine by me."

At the mention of pizza, Caden had jumped out of bed and raced downstairs, much to the amusement of Adam and Greg. Alexa clung onto Adam as he got up.

"Sleep any?" Greg asked.

"Some," Adam replied, hugging Alexa to his side gently. The little girl smiled.

"Good."

The three entered Greg's dining room to find Caden gobbling down a pizza. Adam smirked.

"He's sure got his father's appetite, huh?" Adam teased.

Greg smirked, shrugging. "His grandmother says that all the time," he replied.

Alexa let go of Adam to sit at the table next to her brother. As she sat down, she smacked Caden on the head. "You're such a pig," she remarked.

"Meh," Caden replied indifferently, taking a big bite of pizza.

Adam chuckled, sitting at the table. Greg sat down next to Adam, and the three of them began to eat.

"So, to answer your questions," Adam began, swallowing the bite in his mouth. "Reed is doing just fine now, and Mac says Reed's learned his lesson. As for Mac, he's okay too. He wasn't injured badly or anything, and it didn't slow him down any. Stella found a new place a few months ago, a nicer one than her last one. Danny's doing a lot better with Ruben's death than he was before, but is still taking things a day at a time. Lindsay's fine. Things are fine in New York."

"How's Grandma and Grandpa?" Alexa asked. Caden paused mowing down the pizza long enough to look at Adam.

"They're doing fine. They miss you guys. They hope things are okay out here."

"Okay?" Caden scoffed. Greg glanced sharply at him, and Caden returned the glare.

"I like it here," Alexa said happily.

Caden groaned. "You would."

Greg stood up silently, walking into the kitchen with his glass. Adam watched him wordlessly before turning back to his pizza.

"Why do you always do that?" Alexa asked. "You know things could be a lot worse."

"Worse than living with Grandma Nancy?" Caden replied. "Seeing Greg whenever he gets a day off of work? He's never here, Lexi."

She rolled her eyes. "He's doing the best he can, Caden. We have a nice place to live. What's so wrong with that?"

"I wouldn't care if we lived in a shack if it meant we actually got to see the guy who's supposed to be our father."

"Why don't you like Grandma Nancy?"

"She's too overprotective."

She rolled her eyes again. "Mom was overprotective."

Caden scoffed. "Yeah, but that was different."

"Why was that different?" Alexa asked angrily.

"She was our mother," Caden replied in a tone that suggested Alexa was an idiot.

"Grandma Nancy is your father's mother," Adam butted in. The twins looked over at him, dispelling their argument for the moment. "And she's always been overprotective of him. It's just her nature."

"But this is different, Uncle Adam," Caden said. "She's not my mother."

"She's not my mother either, but that doesn't stop her from being overprotective toward me."

Caden huffed, but said nothing.

"So, you don't like living with Greg because his mother reminds you of your mother?" Adam surmised slightly.

"That, and I don't like it here," Caden said. "I don't want to be here anymore. I want to be at home, with my friends. This place sucks."

"You shouldn't be using that type of language, mister."

Caden rolled his eyes. "You're just as bad as Greg. You never even bother with us anymore, so why should we care what you say?" Caden shook his head, grabbing another slice. "I'm going to do my homework." He left the dining room, and both Adam and Alexa simply watched him go.

"I'm sorry, Uncle Adam," Alexa apologized.

"You've got nothing to be sorry for, sweetheart," he said softly, smiling.

"I don't get it. He doesn't talk to anyone at school, he comes home, and all he does is rag on Dad until Dad goes to work. And then, if Dad's home by the time we get up in the morning, Caden keeps it going. I try to get him to stop, but he won't. I don't understand."

"I don't think we can, Lexi. What does Grandma Nancy think?"

"She thinks he'll grow out of it. But we've been here for seven months, and he's still treating Dad like crap. I just wanna smack him, but that just causes an even bigger fight and someone gets hurt or breaks something and Grandma Nancy has to clean it up or take us to the hospital and then Dad gets called out of work and then he fights with Caden and things just get worse."

"Slow down, hon," Adam said. Alexa sighed.

"Sorry," she said softly. "This happens a lot. And I'm sick of it."

"I know, hon. Let me try talking to him."

"Look at how well that just went," Alexa said, rolling her eyes. Adam shook his head, poking her in the nose with his finger.

"I didn't say it'd be today, Chipmunk," he replied.

She smiled. "Good. I can't take any more fighting tonight."

"Then you better not start anymore."

She rolled her eyes again. "Yes, Uncle Adam."

"Smart alec." Adam reached across the table, messing up her hair as she frowned.

"Can I ask you something, Uncle Adam?" she asked.

"As long as it's not where babies come from," Adam replied.

Alexa giggled. "No, they teach us that in school."

Adam half-shrugged. "Okay then, shoot."

"Dad wouldn't tell us why you were coming here."

Adam inhaled deeply before letting out a sigh, deciding to be honest with his god-daughter. "My father died a few days ago," he admitted. Alexa immediately jumped up and ran around the table, tackling Adam out of his chair with a hug.

"I'm so sorry, Uncle Adam," she said. He hugged her back.

"Thanks, sweetie."

She stood up, helping him up off the floor. He smiled, standing up and kissing him on the top of the head. She went back to the table and started eating again while Adam excused himself. He walked into the kitchen, finding Greg standing over the sink. His arms were extended under the faucet, and his head was on his forearms. Adam sighed softly, walking over and putting his hand on Greg's shoulder.

"Nothing I do is good enough for that kid," Greg said softly.

"He's a kid," Adam replied. "Many of them think nothing their parents do is good enough. Especially when they're almost teenagers."

Greg shook his head. "I'm sorry, Adam."

"It's not your fault. He's eleven, Greg. He's gonna rebel against his parents. And he's still trying to get used to being here. If I were you, I'd be glad that at least he isn't running drugs on the Strip by now."

"Don't give him any ideas," Greg retorted.

Adam smirked.

Greg sighed heavily. "It's just… I'm clearly a terrible father."

Adam shook his head. "That's not true. He's just a kid, Greg. You're doing great with them. Keep in mind, it was only eight months ago that you were living in a crappy apartment by yourself where your only responsibilities were taking care of yourself and getting to work."

"Yeah, I know." Greg breathed out slowly and sadly. "I'm sorry, Adam," he said. "You don't need this right now."

Adam shrugged slightly. "Neither do you. Not so close after Warrick's death."

Greg shook his head. "Doesn't matter. I shouldn't let this get to me."

"He's your kid, Greg. You'd be an idiot not to take what he says to heart. Besides, Caden likes to push buttons and make people's lives harder than it has to be. Audrey was always complaining about that too. Especially since Caden never liked not having his real father there when he was growing up."

"Well, then what the hell does he want from me now?" Greg snapped, standing up.

Adam frowned. "I don't know," he admitted softly.

Greg sighed again, his shoulders sinking. "I'm sorry. I don't mean to snap at you."

"I know."

"How're you doing with everything?"

"We'll talk later."

Greg nodded, and Adam patted him on the back.

"Now then," Adam said. "Let's finish dinner, clean up, and then we can let Alexa beat us at Monopoly."

Greg chuckled softly, smiling. "She doesn't like Monopoly anymore," he said. "Her new favorite game is Clue."

Adam laughed. "Yeah, somehow that doesn't surprise me." The two of them walked back into the dining room to finish dinner.


End file.
